Chitose Line
Railway line in Hokkaido, Japan
title: "Chitose Line" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["railway-lines-in-hokkaido", "lines-of-hokkaido-railway-company", "airport-rail-links-in-japan", "railway-lines-opened-in-1926", "1926-establishments-in-japan", "20-kv-ac-railway-electrification"] description: "Railway line in Hokkaido, Japan" topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitose_Line" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Railway line in Hokkaido, Japan ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox rail line"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Chitose Line |
| native_name | 千歳線 |
| native_name_lang | ja |
| color | 0072bc |
| color2 | 00b2eb |
| image | JR Hokkaido Airport Rapid train.jpg |
| image_width | 300px |
| caption | A 721 series EMU on an Airport rapid service at Minami-Chitose Station |
| type | Airport rail link |
| Commuter rail | |
| locale | Hokkaido |
| start | / / |
| end | |
| stations | 15 |
| open | |
| owner | |
| linelength | 56.6 km |
| tracks | Double (except Airport branch which is single) |
| gauge | |
| electrification | AC 20 kV 50 Hz with overhead catenary |
| map | [[File:JR Chitose Line linemap.svg |
| map_state | collapsed |
| :: |
| box_width = | name = Chitose Line | other_name = | native_name = 千歳線 | native_name_lang = ja | color = 0072bc | color2 = 00b2eb | logo = | logo_width = | image = JR Hokkaido Airport Rapid train.jpg | image_width = 300px | caption = A 721 series EMU on an Airport rapid service at Minami-Chitose Station | type = Airport rail link Commuter rail | system = | status = | locale = Hokkaido | start = / / | end = | stations = 15 | routes = | daily_ridership = | open = | close = | owner = | operator = | character = | depot = | stock = | linelength = 56.6 km | tracklength = | tracks = Double (except Airport branch which is single) | gauge = | electrification = AC 20 kV 50 Hz with overhead catenary | speed = | elevation = | minradius = | map = [[File:JR Chitose Line linemap.svg|200px]] | map_state = collapsed The Chitose Line is a railway line in Hokkaido operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), connecting Numanohata, Tomakomai and Shiroishi Station in Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo, linking the Muroran Main Line and Hakodate Main Line. There also is a branch line to New Chitose Airport.
Service outline
The line forms part of the trunk route between Sapporo and Southern Hokkaido. As such, Hokuto limited express trains run between Sapporo and Hakodate once every 1 to 2 hours, as well as the Suzuran limited express between Sapporo and Muroran.
The section between Sapporo and Minami-Chitose is also a part of the trunk route between Sapporo and eastern Hokkaido. The Ōzora and Tokachi limited express services to Obihiro and Kushiro run through.
The rapid trains Special Rapid Airport and Rapid Airport previously ran approximately once every 12 minutes, functioning as the airport rail link between New Chitose Airport Station and Sapporo or Otaru. Since the Chitose Line goes through the most urbanized area in Hokkaido, there are roughly 3 to 4 local train services per hour.
On 16 March 2024, a new rapid service named "Semi-Rapid Airport" plying between Sapporo and New Chitose Airport Station was introduced, operating only during the daytime at two trains per hour. This train stops at Sapporo, Shin-Sapporo and all stations between Kita-Hiroshima and New Chitose Airport. Since then, no local services operate between Kita-Hiroshima and Chitose during the daytime, and the daytime service frequency of other rapid trains was adjusted to one per hour for Special Rapid Airport trains and three per hour for Rapid Airport trains. Local services are operated at two trains per hour between Sapporo and Kita-Hiroshima and one train per hour between Chitose and Tomakomai during the daytime.
Former services
There were sleeper trains between Honshu and Hokkaido, such as the Hokutosei, Cassiopeia, Twilight Express, and Hamanasu.
Station list
Source:
:SRA: Special Rapid Airport :RA: Rapid Airport :SmRA: Semi-Rapid Airport :L: Local :All rapid trains stop at stations signed "+", some at "◌", and all skip stations marked "-". Local trains stop at most stations but some skip stations signed "◌".
::data[format=table] | No. | Station name | Japanese | Distance (km) | | SRA | RA | SmRA | L | Transfers | Location (all in Hokkaido) | Tomakomai to Numanohata: officially Muroran Main Line | Chitose Line (Main Line) | Shiroishi to Sapporo: officially Hakodate Main Line | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | | Tomakomai | 苫小牧 | -8.8 | | | | + | {{Plainlist| | Tomakomai | | | | | | Numanohata | 沼ノ端 | 0.0 | | | | + | Muroran Main Line (for ) | Tomakomai | | | | | | Uenae | 植苗 | 6.4 | | | | ◌ | | | | | | | | Minami-Chitose | 南千歳 | 18.4 | + | + | + | + | {{Plainlist| | Chitose | | | | | | Chitose | 千歳 | 21.4 | - | + | + | + | | | | | | | | Osatsu | 長都 | 24.9 | - | - | + | + | | | | | | | | Sapporo Beer Teien | サッポロビール庭園 | 27.1 | - | - | + | ◌ | | Eniwa | | | | | | Eniwa | 恵庭 | 29.4 | - | + | + | + | | | | | | | | Megumino | 恵み野 | 31.9 | - | - | + | + | | | | | | | | Shimamatsu | 島松 | 34.1 | - | - | + | + | | | | | | | | Kitahiroshima | 北広島 | 40.6 | - | + | + | + | | Kitahiroshima | | | | | | Kami-Nopporo | 上野幌 | 48.6 | - | - | - | + | | Atsubetsu-ku, Sapporo | | | | | | Shin-Sapporo | 新札幌 | 51.5 | + | + | + | + | () | | | | | | | Heiwa | 平和 | 54.4 | - | - | - | + | | Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo | | | | | | Shiroishi | 白石 | 56.6 | - | ◌ | - | + | Hakodate Main Line (for ) | Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo | | | | | | Naebo | 苗穂 | 60.2 | - | - | - | + | | Chūō-ku, Sapporo | | | | | {{rbox|01 | black}} | Sapporo | 札幌 | 62.4 | + | + | + | + | {{Plainlist| | Kita-ku, Sapporo | | | ::
Airport Branch Line
::data[format=table]
| No. | Station name | Japanese | Distance (km) | SRA | RA | SmRA | L | Transfers | Location (all in Hokkaido) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minami-Chitose | 南千歳 | 0.0 | + | + | + | + | {{plainlist | ||
| New Chitose Airport | 新千歳空港 | 2.6 | + | + | + | + | |||
| :: |
Closed station
- H15 : Closed since 4 March 2017, now a signal base.
Rolling stock
- 721 series EMUs
- 731 series EMUs
- 733 series EMUs
- 735 series EMUs
File:JR Hokkaido 721 series EMU 003.JPG|A 721 series EMU on the Chitose Line, June 2008 File:JR Hokkaido 731.jpg|A 731 series EMU on the Chitose Line, July 2006 File:733 B104 Chitose Line 20140209.jpg| A 733 series EMU on the Chitose Line, February 2014 File:JR HOKKAIDO EC735 A-101 TRAIN.jpg|735 series EMUs, May 2012
History
The entire line opened on 21 August 1926.
Duplication
The Chitose-Eniwa section was double-tracked in September 1965, and extended to Kitahiroshima in September 1966.
The Chitose-Uenae section was double-tracked in 1968, and extended to Numanohata in 1969.
The Shiraishi-Kitahiroshima section was double-tracked in 1973, completing the work to double-track the line.
Electrification
Chitose Station and its approaches were elevated in 1980, and the line was electrified in association with the opening of the nearby Chitose airport.
The Minami-chitose—Chitose Airport branch opened as an electrified line in 1992.
References
References
- "Train Guide". Hokkaido Railway Company.
- (15 December 2023). "JR北海道，3月16日にダイヤ改正を実施". Koyusha Co., Ltd..
- "列車運行情報｜JR北海道- Hokkaido Railway Company".
- "New Chitose Airport => Sapporo Travel Information". Hokkaido Railway Company.
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